to. be “good,” @~- North Shore News — Sunday, December 24, 2000 === VIEW POINT: The gi are, most of us, reasonable people. Some, through phi- losophy and belief, work hard to some it may even come naturally, and the rest of us listen to our conscience if it’s not making unreasonable demands. Reasonable people, when we have time, think of those less fortunate than ourselves at this time of the year. We make donations to the Food Bank or to the Christmas Bureau; we toss money into the Salvation Army kettles; we _give toys to the family in need our busi- ness is sponsoring. - But the vast Majority of us will . $pend tomorrow in celebration of plen- ...ty with family and friends. Being rea- sonable people, (we will reason).we have done our bit for charity and have earned any jolliness coming our way. And besides, there just hasn’t been any - You ‘can ‘inapose as many. new taxes as you want. We’ re not going to pay.” Liz James’ of CAGE (Coalition for Accountability i in Government Enterprises) B.C. vows to continue opposition “to the TransLink vehicle levy despite tough new measures : being considered as collection niethods for the tax. (From a Dec. 17 News story.) t’s simply about being a good employer.” North Vancouver, City Coun. Craig Keating defends 's decision to hire a second assistant at cost of approximately:$35,000 per-year. Sharp said she needed the extra hel because of her increased work load as as From a Dec. 2 20 News story.) 0 ..- - Mayor Rarbara Sharp’ a full-tinie’ mayor.: the change was recovered in the suspet’ ? Former West Vaie ouver : mayor ‘Derrick Hunphatje traffic jams caused by over eager ee ne on at the igs for ranted. We spend two dollars i in the morning on coffee and a are oi: 24 News Story.) BO:vaU HANG A STORY IDEA? ves Business Hours: Sharon Coco: at lasts time to spare recently, has there? What with putting up the lights, buying a tree, ferrying the kids to the school concerts, your office party, the spouse’s office party, finding time to pick up a turkey has been a chailenge, never mind making time for the in-laws. There just isn’t that much time or money feft over to spare for those out- side your circle, is there? But... But what if you stopped for that person about to step onto the cross- walk instead of accelerating through the intersection? What if you took -cookies to the neighbour whose dog wakes you up every morning? What if you actively conunitted to one single act of f random kindness tomorrow? What if that person was so energized by the experience that they decided to do something similar? When and where would it ever stop? the best and the worst in people, . though notably ‘more of the fatter . in spades. They get tired, irrita-. . bie, snippy, short of - : temper, loud of mouth , and begin forgetting , about those who gen-: -s ginely suffer at this time. of the year and truly i deserve compassion. -. °- - IN a Dickensian kind of way, Christmas really does bring out Now, I could go on at length about ~ - : the poor, the homeless, the huddled . i masses; the unfortunates in Serbia or: Croatia or any other place I have no ~~ intention of visiting. ~ [could even well uy up ome pity for the . guy downstairs who, gh some cruel : trick of nature and fashion, looks like a’. cross between Forrest Gump and “the. H art the wretched and downtrodden souls we need feel sorry for’ Instead; we should lather our good / * retail-sales personnel indentured to serve us during this most frenzied period of : “were never enforced where I worked.’ * > (read: guilty about) this holiday season. =. : ; er. husband. John has given sponsorship of ‘children in. eveloping. countries to eight ‘relatives as Christmas gifts. |. Chavner said even a ‘dollar a’day can make a difference to. will on on the shopkeeps, store clerks and - : ~consumer spending. ‘’ They take a helluva lot of puff this ¢ of the year and, unlike people in my “racket, have'no forum in which to vent their pent-up anger and frustration. ey dare, chances are they'll Should be looking fora new and even in nenial job the following, day. 22.5 “J worked the wrong side of. the Check-. the service industry -for yout counter, SEASONAL IRONY many a year during my high-school and university days, and I’m here to tell you, pal: Shoppers do not get any goddamn merrier at Christmas. _ My stint serving the public was a long and ‘torturous one. In 1978,. I drew an eight-year sentence at Safeway #140 in Lynn Valley, stuffing bags, stocking . shelves, culling produce . and tending cash for a. management staff so, ~ = severely stuck in the - » fifties that the second- in-command went so far. as to coif his hair like Elvis: .-.- '. Besides making‘ him look like the 7 business end of an crangutan, he seemed to feel it gave him the kind of sex ‘appeal “Mecessary to show up drunk and uninvit- ed at the homes of viinsome female employees at three ° *clock i in the morn- . ing.. In those ‘days, of course, _ such thing as workplace harassment, px (cies — or if there were, they sure as he Women were vigorously hustled, both’ “on and off shift, gays were openly to! “mented, and anybody who raised a. ruckus about such “old boys” behaviour was summarily transferred 10 the grave-. ard shift, (Not surprisingly, that is exa ¢ where I spent'a great eal of ni . afeway career.) » : i ~ People who think jobs like. that “the cat’s meow for “students and ‘Young: - people” are out of their minds: Ic’ thankless; tedious, demoralizing work at involves the always-delightfut “in” shift, copious amounts of ¢ ‘isn’t'worth the’ ; day. before Christmas.” my . the ¢ of working environment often descri vivors. Having endured the degra ig and id by concentration-camp : sur- : mind-numbing experience firsthand, it isn’t too hard to understand why I’: - believe retail-service workers should receive, if nothing else; at least the ben fit of our patience and understanding ~ during the Yuletide. © There is, after all, only so much a Son can — and should — tak If you’ve ever seen Kevin Smith’s 7 highly amusing film, Clerks, you'll recall’ “ wonderful scene in which’ one.of th aE twentysomething shopkeeps s spews a mouthful of water into a haughty cus _ tomer’s face. 20.” That, in a nutshell, is ev vice employce’s fantasy. Why?. Becaise Payback i is as sweet as it gets. We, as consumers, are a brut : impatient, ‘pig-headed and self-i eioteent lot. We seem to feel in a scenario ill ported by common sci : and other assorted drones and pe expected to be’ at our. beck-and; because “we're paying th ‘ Horse hockey. My tax es but it’s never stopped. Icking me up wheiie - And the more I den an them, the longer.I stay y 2 » Contrary to poplar ele shop. clerks are not there to endure the tirad frustrated shoppers: ,. you what you need, -smile, but only if you “A little thoughtfulness goes way, regardless of which side‘of t counter you're standing on. Ti remember that on this, th s gpotters8Choima WWW.HSHeWS.